Thank You, Gob
If you're new here, I typically don't type God - I type Gob. And as a lapsed Catholic with 8 years worth of nuns still haunting my nightmares, I feel a bit better about not really taking the name of the Lord in vain. If you're wondering why it's Gob and not God, have a read, if you'd like.
Anyway, the big news: I fell asleep last night!!!! Ta-Da!!! (I wouldn't be here this morning without the help of Advil PM, so this award's for you!) I was so proud of myself this morning, I felt like one of those toddlers who finally goes poopy on the potty and just announces it in public to any random passers-by. Look at me! I slept all night like a big girl!! I'm still so exhausted I can feel it in my bones (sleep deprivation is cumulative, it would seem, and I've run up quite the "sleep debt.") but oh my gob, I'd forgotten what it was like to fall asleep before 3:00 a.m. and stay asleep for more than an hour and a half at a time.
In other news, I finally met our friend Hap in class on Monday night. He never responded to my long, groveling e-mail, apologizing (as I was instructed) because he couldn't find the classroom, offering my time to help him get caught up and including a syllabus in the e-mail. Because students seem not to notice attachments, I also wrote: "Attached you will find a copy of our syllabus." I don't know why I'm the least bit surprised, but he never e-mailed me back. Sometimes our university e-mail system can be a bit sketchy, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Monday evening, he didn't approach me before class or during either of our two short breaks. Before I let them go (45 minutes early), I thought to myself, "I don't know what the hell this kid looks like, and I better be prepared for the wrath of Gob tomorrow if he's not here," so I said, "Hap Happerton, I need to speak with you briefly before you go." He approached me. I was surprised - he wasn't the spawn of Satan as I had anticipated (at least, he didn't have horns or a tail that I could see). He seemed like a basic, decent, polite 19-year-old kid. "Did you get my e-mail?" I asked after introducing myself and gushing about how glad I was he was finally able to join us. "Uh, yeah, I did. Uh, thanks." I was happy. Then he said, "Hey, uh, could I get a copy of the syllabus?" Aside: I don't know why it irritates the crap out of me when students ask me this, but it does. It's usually the fourth or tenth week of class and they almost hold out their grubby little mitts and I just want to say in my snarkiest voice, "I don't carry them around with me everywhere I go." But I digress. I told him it was attached to the e-mail. He was surprised. It was? He didn't see it. Now I was alarmed because of the "attached you will find . . ." sentence. I was so sleep deprived and so shaken by the worst class ever taught that I thought maybe I didn't send it to him. "Okay," I said, "please go back and check the e-mail and if I didn't include a syllabus, let me know." He agreed. I raced back to our new place (in the pouring rain at 10:00 p.m. and I can now confess with true shame that I should NOT have been driving because I was that tired and kept drifting on to the shoulder of the freeway) and I headed straight for the computer and my "sent" folder. And sure enough, there was a syllabus attached.
Gob help me this semester. I think I'm in for one hell of a ride.
Anyway, the big news: I fell asleep last night!!!! Ta-Da!!! (I wouldn't be here this morning without the help of Advil PM, so this award's for you!) I was so proud of myself this morning, I felt like one of those toddlers who finally goes poopy on the potty and just announces it in public to any random passers-by. Look at me! I slept all night like a big girl!! I'm still so exhausted I can feel it in my bones (sleep deprivation is cumulative, it would seem, and I've run up quite the "sleep debt.") but oh my gob, I'd forgotten what it was like to fall asleep before 3:00 a.m. and stay asleep for more than an hour and a half at a time.
In other news, I finally met our friend Hap in class on Monday night. He never responded to my long, groveling e-mail, apologizing (as I was instructed) because he couldn't find the classroom, offering my time to help him get caught up and including a syllabus in the e-mail. Because students seem not to notice attachments, I also wrote: "Attached you will find a copy of our syllabus." I don't know why I'm the least bit surprised, but he never e-mailed me back. Sometimes our university e-mail system can be a bit sketchy, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Monday evening, he didn't approach me before class or during either of our two short breaks. Before I let them go (45 minutes early), I thought to myself, "I don't know what the hell this kid looks like, and I better be prepared for the wrath of Gob tomorrow if he's not here," so I said, "Hap Happerton, I need to speak with you briefly before you go." He approached me. I was surprised - he wasn't the spawn of Satan as I had anticipated (at least, he didn't have horns or a tail that I could see). He seemed like a basic, decent, polite 19-year-old kid. "Did you get my e-mail?" I asked after introducing myself and gushing about how glad I was he was finally able to join us. "Uh, yeah, I did. Uh, thanks." I was happy. Then he said, "Hey, uh, could I get a copy of the syllabus?" Aside: I don't know why it irritates the crap out of me when students ask me this, but it does. It's usually the fourth or tenth week of class and they almost hold out their grubby little mitts and I just want to say in my snarkiest voice, "I don't carry them around with me everywhere I go." But I digress. I told him it was attached to the e-mail. He was surprised. It was? He didn't see it. Now I was alarmed because of the "attached you will find . . ." sentence. I was so sleep deprived and so shaken by the worst class ever taught that I thought maybe I didn't send it to him. "Okay," I said, "please go back and check the e-mail and if I didn't include a syllabus, let me know." He agreed. I raced back to our new place (in the pouring rain at 10:00 p.m. and I can now confess with true shame that I should NOT have been driving because I was that tired and kept drifting on to the shoulder of the freeway) and I headed straight for the computer and my "sent" folder. And sure enough, there was a syllabus attached.
Gob help me this semester. I think I'm in for one hell of a ride.
posted by Teacher lady | 9:21 AM
6 Comments:
Congrats on the sleep.
I am using Gob now, for everything. And that story you linked to? AUGHTTHTHTHTHGHGHGHGHGHG. That is how I felt, as a student, when people did that same thing. Um, hi, we are ADULTS now which means I will wind up with a capital punishment sentence when I KILL you f**k head.
I don't know how you do it. I hope you can get your sleep debt wiped out soon.
I can neither comfirm nor deny cumulative sleep deprivation, but if I remember correctly, from general Psychology, I can tell you that if you don't catch up on the sleep that day, i.e., a nap, then you lose your chance. It's like offering a window of opportunity for sleep to redeem itself.
Students must think profs are stupid or something. We know nothing of computers, omg, the attachment must have disappeared on the way from my email to yours. HUH?
Do you have Blackboard at your school? I'm setting mine up this weekend with the syllabus, images to study, important documents (including all things I hand out now). This way, less paper for me. Then, you can simply refer them to the site. Of course, this info is completely useless if you don't have it. Sorry :)
Congratulations on the sleeping. Can you take out a loan to pay off that debt? Perhaps with a lower interest rate?
I can so relate to your sarcasm... I really admire your ability to hold your tongue when you doubted the student's honesty (or sincerity!).
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